The planned authority center at BER Airport is causing heated debates in the Brandenburg state parliament. Because on Wednesday the Internet portal “fragdenstaat.de” published a cabinet proposal from the state government for the authority center.
Accordingly, in addition to a functional building, the center should consist primarily of a “detention building” and a so-called “transit building”, in which a total of up to 118 people can be held. In addition, a “return building” is to be built.
For both buildings, an investor should be able to receive a cold rent of up to 1.2 million euros per month. As can also be seen from the documents, the state concedes to the investor that he will be reimbursed up to 1.2 million euros for start-up costs incurred for the project if the planned contract is not concluded.
The costs for land, planning and construction of the center add up to almost 156 million euros. In contrast, there is a total rental income of more than 470 million euros over the contractually agreed 30-year term.
“Now it is clear what we feared for a long time,” said the left-wing faction’s interior expert, Andrea Johlige, to the Tagesspiegel. “The interior minister’s swindling about the project leads to an incredible waste of tax money.” Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) deliberately circumvented regulations on the obligation to tender and did everything possible to ensure that the state parliament and the public did not find out about the project in order to push it through quickly.
“The result is at least 250 million euros in profit from taxpayers’ money for an investor who has a criminal record for improper property transactions,” said Johlige. She is asking the state government to get out of the project while it is still possible.
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In the Kenya coalition of SPD, CDU and Greens, however, there is a tangible dispute about the project. “One thing is clear: With us there will be no deportation prison,” said the parliamentary group leader of the Greens, Benjamin Raschke. “There was also no approval from the Green coalition partner for the construction of a government center at BER Airport in the form described, for example with regard to the investor or the financing model.”
Rather, in all previous discussions about such a project, narrow limits were drawn. “We see many unanswered questions and inconsistencies about the situation, the investor, the financing model and the size.”
On the other hand, CDU General Secretary Gordon Hoffmann said that nobody who had dealt with the project in peace could understand the excitement about the planned authority center at BER.
“With the closure of Tegel Airport in Berlin and the opening of BER in Schönefeld, completely new realities have arisen for the state of Brandenburg,” said Hoffmann. “You are now responsible for all air traffic and thus for entering and leaving the metropolitan region.” Other structures are also needed for this.
“Even in the Brandenburg state government made up of the SPD, CDU and Greens, there is fundamental agreement that this project makes sense,” said Hoffmann. “It is not entirely clear why parts of the Greens are now vehemently fighting this project and denigrating it as a kind of ‘deportation prison’ – apparently this is more about profiling within the party than about responsibility for our country.”
The interior ministry declined to comment on the project. Negotiations are still ongoing, a spokesman said. According to information from the Tagesspiegel, it was also not planned that the authority center – as initially feared by the left – could become a topic at the next cabinet meeting.
